Sinhala Font for Windows 10: Understanding the Layout Operations

The Sinhala script is an essential part of Sri Lankan culture, used to write the Sinhala language, Pali, and Sanskrit. In recent years, Microsoft has introduced significant changes in the way Sinhala text is processed on Windows 10. This article aims to provide font developers with a comprehensive understanding of the layout operations involved in creating OpenType fonts for the Sinhala script, as covered by the Unicode Standard 6.0.

Understanding Base Glyphs and Ligatures

Layout operations are defined in terms of base glyphs, rather than base characters. This is because ligatures can act as base characters and may not always be represented by a single character code point. Akhand ligatures have the highest priority and are formed first, followed by other types of ligatures.

Unicode Characters and Glyphs

Each character represents a Unicode character code point. The character set used in the Sinhala script includes diacritic marks, such as the Īlakuna (halant/virama), which is used to suppress the inherent vowel of a consonant. Any glyph can have a diacritic mark attached to it.

The following terms are essential for understanding the layout features and script rules discussed in this document:

* Akhand ligature: A required consonant ligature that may appear anywhere in the syllable and may or may not involve the base glyph.

* Īkhand ligature: A type of consonant ligature that does not contain instructions for creating Sinhala fonts, but helps font developers understand how the Sinhala shaping engine processes Sinhala text.

New Shaping Engine

Starting with Windows 10, the Universal Shaping Engine will support Sinhala script processing, replacing the stand-alone shaping engine used in earlier versions. This change is expected to improve the accuracy and efficiency of Sinhala text rendering on Windows devices.

Creating OpenType fonts for the Sinhala script requires a thorough understanding of layout operations, base glyphs, ligatures, and Unicode characters. By following this guide, font developers can create high-quality fonts that accurately render Sinhala text on Windows 10 and other platforms. With the new Universal Shaping Engine, users can expect improved rendering performance and accuracy for Sinhala text in Windows 10.

Sinhala font for windows 10